Registered Nurse (Mental Health), ANZSCO 254422 explained

Registered Nurse (Mental Health) is ANZSCO 254422, skill level 1. The ABS defines this role as providing nursing care to patients with mental health illness, disorder and dysfunction, and to people experiencing emotional difficulties, distress and crisis, across health, welfare, aged care, and correctional settings.

Who assesses this occupation

The assessing authority is the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), through its Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). AHPRA assesses overseas-trained nurses for registration in Australia, and the assessment outcome is what immigration uses to confirm the qualification match. The occupation page for 254422 carries the current authority detail and links directly to AHPRA. Requirements can change, so check that page before you start your assessment.

Which lists it sits on

Being on a list and being in shortage are two different things. Here is where 254422 sits on both measures.

Migration lists (as of 2025-06-16):

• Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL): listed. This is the list that feeds the Skills in Demand visa and related pathways. Check the Home Affairs skilled occupation lists for current visa linkages.
• Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL): listed. MLTSSL codes can support a broader range of visa subclasses, including some points-tested visas. Same source page as above.

2024 Occupation Shortage List (Jobs and Skills Australia):

254422 is rated S, in shortage nationally. That rating comes from a separate labour-market read. It tells you something about labour-market conditions, but list membership, not a shortage rating, is what opens a visa pathway. The two facts sit side by side in the occupation page; neither replaces the other.

New Zealand: 254422 holds NZ Green List Tier 1 membership (as of 2026-05-15). Check the NZ Green List directly for current requirements and any changes.

Near-miss codes

Mental health nursing sits inside the broader Registered Nurses (2544) group. Two codes are easy to confuse with 254422:

• Registered Nurse (Community Health) 254414: community settings, not a specialist mental health focus.
• Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) 254415: acute care and emergency, not mental health.

The 6-digit code is what goes on your visa application. Getting the wrong one matters.

Find your code and get advice

Browse all Registered Nurses at /en/anzsco/2022/2544, or search the full ANZSCO database at /en/anzsco/2022/. If you are unsure which code fits your background, the CV matcher at app.anzscofinder.com can show you the closest matches.

For advice on which visa to apply for, whether your experience qualifies, or how to read an assessment outcome, speak to a registered migration agent. We find codes. Agents advise.